Recruiters want both soft skills and hard skills, but the weight they give to each depends on the position, industry, and company culture. The simple answer: neither type can be ignored. Candidates who show a strong mix of both are the ones who move forward in the hiring process.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are the personal attributes that influence how well someone interacts, communicates, and collaborates with others. They are harder to measure but often easier to notice.
Key examples include:
- Communication
- Adaptability
- Problem-solving
- Teamwork
- Leadership
- Work ethic
- Emotional intelligence
Soft skills are what turn a qualified candidate into a valuable team member. A developer with strong technical abilities but no patience for collaboration can stall an entire project. A salesperson with charm but no organizational habits can frustrate clients and colleagues alike.
What Are Hard Skills?
Hard skills are teachable abilities or knowledge sets that are measurable and job-specific. They are often learned through formal education, certifications, or hands-on experience.
Common hard skills are:
- Data analysis
- Programming languages
- Project management
- Accounting
- Graphic design
- Foreign languages
When discussing hard skills, it’s useful to mention that typing tests often quantify computer literacy, a crucial hard skill for many jobs. Recruiters look for proof that candidates can handle the tools and systems required for the role. Certification exams, portfolios, and technical assessments often help measure these abilities.
How Recruiters Evaluate Both
Recruiters typically use a layered approach to assess candidates:
1. Resume screening:
Hard skills get attention first. Recruiters scan for certifications, software expertise, and other qualifications that meet the job requirements.
2. Interviews:
Soft skills come into sharper focus here. Recruiters listen for communication clarity, enthusiasm, and ability to think on one’s feet.
3. Practical tests or assignments:
These assess hard skills in action, such as coding challenges or financial modeling exercises.
4. Reference checks:
Soft skills often get verified here. Former managers highlight reliability, teamwork, and attitude.
Why Both Matter
No hard skill can guarantee success without strong soft skills to back it up. An architect who can design stunning buildings still needs to manage client relationships and navigate feedback without friction. Likewise, no amount of charisma compensates for a surgeon who lacks technical precision.
Hiring managers often think of hard skills as the entry ticket and soft skills as the stay ticket. You get the job because you can do it; you keep it because you fit the team and contribute meaningfully beyond the tasks.
How Candidates Can Showcase Both
On resumes:
- List certifications, skills, and relevant software proficiency clearly.
- Include brief mentions of soft skills under achievements (“Led a team of five on a $1M project”).
During interviews:
- Tell structured stories (using the STAR method) that show both technical expertise and personal qualities.
- Demonstrate active listening, empathy, and clear articulation.
On LinkedIn and portfolios:
- Share examples of projects that required collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving, not just technical execution.
Final Thought
Recruiters aren’t choosing between soft skills and hard skills. They’re looking for candidates who understand that both are non-negotiable. Hard skills open doors. Soft skills keep them open.